Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-02


their boarded pennies to invest 10
chocolate sweetmeats, vanilla cara
mels and cream cakes with puffy shells
and delicious centers of sweetness.
The little money drawer grew fat with
coins, and Aunt Debby's eyes grew
bright and hopeful again.
And one day Mr.. Herbert Valance,
walking by with Medora May, stopped
and looked in.
"Isn't that your cousin Grace, said
he, "behind the counter?"
Medora turned crimson with vexa-
ton.
"My cousin Grace?" shesaid "No,
indeed! We are not-in trade"
What possessed her to utter this de-
liberate falsehood, Medora could not
afterward have told. Partly the sting
of false shame, partly g disinclinatiOn
for Mr.. Herbert Valance to know that
her relations were, to Use her express
sion, "not ladies and gentlemen"
Mr.. Valance looked up at the sign
over tie door.
"The name is May he remarked
indifferently.
YES" said Medora, angry with her
self for blushing so deeply, "but we are
rot relations.
Mr.. Valance thought over the mat
ter.
He afterward met Miss May at g.
party given by a friend, where pretty
Grace Craxall was also present; he
had taken rather afancy to the bright
blue eyes and delicate blonde beauty
of the former. Valance Hall, on the
hill just out of the city, was solitary
enough, now that ali his sisters had
married and gone away, and perhaps
a man might get q less attractive and
graceful wife than Medora May. But
he could not be mistaken, he thought,
in Grace Craxalls identity.
And so tie next evening, about the
same time, be sauntered into the
shop.
Grace was behind the daintily clean
little counter, taking some newly
baked maple caramels off the pan.
She looked up with q smile.
"Good evening, Mr.. Valance" said
she.
ESQ.," he thought, 81 wasn't mistak-
en- after all. That little blue.eyed SER
aph is mortal enough to tell lie, in
spite of her angelic appearance"
But he looked sereneiy at Grace.
81 didn't know you were in trade, :"
said he.
Didn't you? Well, retorted Grace,
81 am my Aunt Deborah's shop girl
at present. l always come in the
evenings to help her, BECAUSE" she
added, with sweet shade of serious
60
old and poor, and didn't quite know
how to maintain herself in independ-
ence; and, unfortunately, my wages
at the factory are not enough for US
both. So | advised her to open this
business, and she did, and she's doing
well, and she bakes the most delicious
bread and pies you ever ate; So" with
a saucy twinkle under her eyelashes,
'if you know of any customers, will
you please recommend our frm?"
''To be sure I shall" he answered in
the same spirit. ssAnd l am very glad,
Miss Craxall, that you are not
ashamed of being working girl"
"Of course | am not" said Grace.
"Why should be?"
"But your cousin Medora is"
Grace gave little shrug of her
shoulders.
every likely" said she. ''Medora
and | differ in many things"
Mr.. Valance bought g. pound of
caramels and went away.
"She is a beauty" he said to himself,
'sand she is sensible beauty into the
bargain. One of those rare creatures
in our country, a thoroughly well-bal-
anced girl"
He must have been very well pleased
with his purchase, for he came again
the next evening, Just in time to walk
home with Grace Craxall. And they
| talked over Aunt Deborah's affairs,
and concluded, as -four vas low just
then, it would be a favorable oppor-
tunity for the old lady to lay IN her
winter stock through Mr.. Valance,
who was acquainted with one of the
great New ork grain merchants.
Only a few weeks had elapsed when
Medora May was electrified to learn
that her cousin Grace was engaged.
Ito some master baker Or journey
man confectioner, suppose, shesaid
contemporary.
NO" said Grace, with eyes roguish-
ly sparkling, "to Mr.. Herbert Val.
ance."
ST don't believe it," said Medora,
growing red, then pale.
"But it is really So" said Grace.
We are to be married in three months.
And Aunt Debby is to come to the
hall and live with me as soon as she
can dispose of her business to ad.
vantage. And, dear Medora, [ hope
you will often come and visit there"
Medora May did not answer. She
could not. But in her secret heart she
realized how infinitely more successful
in LIES lists had been Grace's frank
honesty than her own subtle and de
vious course.
Like many another, however, the
lesson had come to her too late
| Woman's Journal
Diseases Caused by Impure Ice.